News Item, April 2019

BENP six weeks, local consultation begins 4th May 2019.

The Blunsdon East Neighbourhood Plan (BENP) is, after several years of hard work by a team of volunteers, in its final draft form and is presented for consultation to residents of the plan area.

The plan area is that portion of the Parish, East of the A419.

The Plan will be launched at an open session in the village hall between 10am and 4pm on Saturday the 4th of May, when copies will be available for you to study and forms available for you make comments and suggestions.

This event starts the six week mandatory consultation period.

There will be a second open session in the village hall between 4pm and 9pm on Wednesday the 8th of May.

For those of you unable to attend either of the open sessions, the draft plan may be found on the Parish website and on BENP Facebook and this Website and the comments form can be completed online.

There will also be hard copies of the draft plan available in the Parish Council office, by appointment, between 10.00am and 2.00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the 6 week consultation period. Contact Tracey Judd on 705617 during office hours. Please use the comments form to record your comments and suggestions which must be submitted in writing provided to the Parish Office within the consultation period which ends on Friday June the 14th.

After analysis of comments received, the draft plan may then be modified, and this final version will be submitted to the Local Planning Authority who will arrange for it to be examined by an ‘Independent Examiner’. Once satisfied that the plan can legally proceed it will then be the subject of a referendum, normally of residents in the plan area, organised by the Borough Council.

Assuming a favorable outcome to the referendum the BENP will be brought into legal force and be part of the Borough’s Local Plan. It will then legally impact on all future decisions concerning changes and developments in the BENP area.

Should the referendum not support the plan then the Parish will remain only able to comment on and try to influence developments in the area. Therefore you are urged to read, understand, and support the BENP.

Please remember that all comments must be recorded on the comments form and completed by Friday 14th June.